The Sierra Sands Unified School District will build a new Murray Middle School campus, and further modernize Burroughs High School.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday that the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment awarded the district $57 million for the projects.

The award caps two years of effort, which began with visits to all schools on Navy property. Murray was ranked fourth, and Burroughs was 10th on the list of schools most in need of facility renovation.

This grant has been awarded under the auspices of the $500-million program authorized by Section 8109 of Public Law 112-10 the DoD and Full Year Continuing Appropriation Act, 2011 and Section 8118 of Public Law 112-74 the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2012.

Its purpose is to bring school facilities located on military property into full compliance with current-day educational standards.

Of that, $37 million will be for the Murray construction, and the remainder for the high-school modernization, which will include a new administration building.

The new Murray campus will be built on Navy property adjacent to Burroughs.

“We’re humbled. We’re proud. We’re amazed, and we’re thrilled,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Elaine Janson. “This is the very beginning of the work we’re going to be doing together on these projects. There is much that we really don’t know. The thing that we do know is that all the hard work we’ve gone through with our partners at the Navy base has paid off, and we are thrilled with the fact the our students, our staff, our parents and our community are going to have the opportunity to see these marvelous facilities modernized and constructed.”

Clark said he attended an economic-development conference Dec. 4 in Montebello with Economic Development Manager Gary Parsons and was told the short-term concern is helping young people, especially 18- to 20-year-olds get jobs, and the long-term concern is educating young people for new technological services that are being developed and will be developed.

Superintendent Joanna Rummer said the next step is to talk to the OEA for guidance on how to progress and implement the program.

“First we need to hire our architect, and there’s a certain procedure that we must go through,” she said.

Rummer said the district hopes building Murray next to Burroughs will facilitate a learning community for the secondary schools.

“The community gave us the opportunity to do all of the infrastructure for Burroughs that was underground through the bond that was passed,” she said. “Nothing really happened above ground. This particular grant will finish that above-ground process.”

Page 2 of 3 - She said the modernization will also include upgrades to the athletic fields as well as other campus improvements, and the new administration building will face the new front of the school near the new career-technical-education building.

“People will know where the front of the school is located,” Rummer said. “It’s better for security for our students as well.”

She said the district has worked with the Navy in doing environmental studies for the past several months.

“We appreciated the help of the Navy in facilitating all of the things we had to do to be able to facilitate this grant,” she said. “They’ve been very supportive.”

Rummer said architectural design for Burroughs is expected to be completed in March 2014, and construction is expected to be completed in December 2015. The design for Murray is scheduled to be completed in July 2014, and construction is scheduled to be completed in Sept. 2016.

In a press release, McCarthy said the announcement will help ensure that Sierra Sands can continue providing a world-class education to the children of the men and women who serve at and support China Lake.

“Many of our families in Ridgecrest who work on the base do cutting-edge research in state-of-the-art facilities, yet their children may go to school in buildings from the 1940s or ‘50s,” he said. “Replacing Murray Middle School and renovating Burroughs High School will help ensure that our students are able to learn in a similar state-of-the-art environment.”

Local parents, educators, business and military leaders also weighed in.

Burroughs Principal Dave Ostash said new and improved facilities will be perfect complement to the school’s award-winning instructional and extracurricular programs in place.

“We are so excited to have this wonderful opportunity to bring state-of-the-art educational facilities to our deserving students, staff, families and community,” said Murray Principal Kirsti Smith.

Sierra Sands Unified School District Board of Education President Tim Johnson said this is a great opportunity to further progress into the future with new facilities to support the district’s programs.

“We are very excited to be able to realize these excellent opportunities for the kids in our district,” said SSUSD Board Vice President and Burroughs graduate Bill Farris.

Burroughs Parent-Teacher-Organization President Julie Stephens said the projects will be a huge benefit for the city, the school district and the community.

“With these funds, a new and improved campus will be built adjacent to Burroughs High School, which will allow many generations of Ridgecrest residents to gain access to the phenomenal teachers and staff of Murray for many years to come,” said Murray PTO President Stephanie Hudson.

Page 3 of 3 - Naval Air Weapons Station Commanding Officer Capt. Dennis Lazar Murray and Burroughs not only provide a stellar education for all of our children at China Lake, they also serve to springboard a large number of them into future careers as scientists and engineers.

“There is a tremendous need in our country for that type of talent and it is highly valued here amidst China Lake’s culture of innovation,” he said. “The Sierra Sands Unified School District works magic with these students despite some serious challenges with these aging schools. Burroughs was built in the 60s and is in much need of repair and updating. Murray Middle School was built in 1946 and is far beyond its original intended life. Doing the work they do out of these old buildings is a testament to their commitment and dedication to our children’s education here at China Lake. This grant is well deserved and will be a true blessing.”

Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce President Steve Boster said Murray and Burroughs are tied to the community and have excelled in providing a wonderful education for the children of military families.

“Considering the needed improvements to these facilities and the need to preserve China Lake’s and Ridgecrest’s history of excellence, the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce applauds the efforts of Congressman McCarthy and our local education leaders in continuing to improve our community’s quality of life,” he said.

China Lake Alliance interim Executive Director Eileen Shibley said the alliance’s mission is to advocate for the best quality of life for the China Lake and Ridgecrest communities.

“We are thrilled about the news that Murray Middle School and Burroughs High School will be able to receive much-needed improvements that were long overdue,” she said.

Janson said this has been a desire of the district for a very long time.

“Even though they are moving the school off the core of the base, the plans will incorporate significant threat-force protection aspect of it,” Rummer said. “With the modernization of Burroughs, the threat-force protection will be a significant part of that entire modernization process.”